Electric generator.



G. A. HUBER.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Immo, 1908.

942,325. Patented Dec. 7, 1,909,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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G. A. HUBER.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. I0, 1908.

942,325. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

trmmp UNITED sramsgrnnr OFFICE.

GUSTAV A. HUBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HUBER AUTOMATIC MAGNETO SIGNALING COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I GUsrAv ADoLPH HUBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric generators and more particularly to that class of machines adapted to. be actuated by hand power for the purpose of furnishing a small currentv of comparatively brief duration, when desired. As heretofore constructed, such devices have been provided with a manually operable lever or handle, which, by `means of suitable gearing, imparts rotation to the armature of a small generator, usually of the magneto type. It is frequently desirable, however, to maintain the generation of current in such a machine for a considerable period, and for practical reasons, undesirable to compel the operator. to continue to manipulate the handle during such period..

It is the primary object of the present inveiition, therefore, to produce a machine whereby almomentary actuation of the handle or lever will serve to effect the eneration of current for a considerable period, after the actuation of the lever has ceased.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism whereby the generator will, at each actuation, be driven for practically the same length of time regardless of the force used in manipulating the lever.

With the above and other objects in view and to improve generally upon the details of construction of such machines, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FigureI 1 is a front elevation of my complete machine withl the front wall of the casing removed, Fig. 2 is a central transverse section thereof along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a view substantially at rightangles to Fig. 2, the casing beine in section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and tlie mechanism being yshown in elevation, with parts broken away; Fig. 4 is a detail of the pawl and ratchet mechanism employed.

Referring to the drawings in detail the apparatus comprises a casing` 1, preferably of brass or similar material, and cylindrical in shape. This casing is provided with a front wall or cover 2 which, when in position, serves to inclose the mechanism entirely, and protect it from dust and dirt, and also from being tampered with.

Against the rear wall of the casing l l se cure the field magnet 3 of a magneto generator, the armature el of which is mounted between the poles of the field, and is pref erably inclosed in a casing 5, in whicn the shaftl 6 is journaled. To one end of this shaft is secured a bevel gear 12, and an insulated contact to which one end of the armature winding is connected, is carried by the other end of the shaft, and bears against.

a contact spring 8 secured to` a block of insulation From this spring extends a connection to van insulated binding post 10, which forms one terminal of the circuit. The other end of the armature winding is grounded on the frame of the machine and a binding` post 11 is secured to the casing, and forms the other terminal of the circuit.

While l have shown and described a siin ple magneto for generating alternating cui'- rents, it is obvious that l may employ a direct current generator of any suitable type, if desired, as the generator itself forms no part of the present invention.

Supported by the rear wall of the casing is a stud shaft 13, set in a block 14. lllouno ed on ball bearings 15 on the shaft 13 is a fly-wheel 1G, preferably of cast-iron or other heavy material. rllliis flywheel is large and heavy, as compared with the generator, and has secured to one side thereof a bevel gear 17 which meshes with the bevel gear 12, on the shaft of the generator. )n the other side of the wheel 16 is secured a ratchet Wheel 18.

A swinging pawl 19 is pivoted on a stud 23 carried by a plate 24, which is mounted to swing on an axis concentric with the ratchet wheel 18. The pawl 19 is provided with a tail or extension 20, adapted, when .in its normal position, to rest against a lug 21 secured to the inside of the casing 1. This lug acts to hold the nose of the pawl out of engagement with tHe ratchet wheel, while a spring 22 fixed to the plate 24 serves to urge the pawl into engagement with the ratchet Wheel as soon as it is removed from the infiifience of the lug 21. The pawl 19 is spaced apart from the plate 24; by means of a sleeve 25 through which the stud 23 passes.

The plate 24 is secured to a bushing which embraces a stud shaft 27, and at its other end this bushing carries a pinion 26. The stud shaft 27 is mounted in a cross-bar 28 secured by screws to opposite sides of the casing 1. A heavy coil spring 29 is attached at one end to the bushing abovementioned, and after being wound around this bushing between the pinion 26 and plate 24, is secured at its other end to a stud 30 set into the cross-bar 28. A bracket 31 is also secured inside the casing, as by mea-ns of screws, and carries a bolt 32 which extends through the front wall 2 of the casing. Journaled on this bolt is a hub 33, carrying an areshaped rack 34, arranged to mesh with the pinion 26. To the upper end of the hub 33 a lever or crank 35 is adapted to be secured by means of a nut 36. The lever is provided at its upper end with a suitable handle 37, and the front wall of the casing carries two studs 38, spaced apart, and serving to limit the movement of the lever.

In operation, the lever is moved to the left, as indicated in Fig. 1, as far as the stud 38, will permit and this, acting through the rack 34, and pinion 26 serves to put the spring 29 under strong tension. At the same time the' plate 24 turns with pinion 26,'and causes the swinging pawl 19 to travel around the edge of the ratchet wheel 18 in a direction opposite to that of the arrow in F ig. 4. When, therefore, the handle 37 is released the nose of the pawl 19 engages one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and the spring 29, in unwinding, returns the lever 35 to its original position, and at the same time, imparts an impulse to the iy wheel which is rigidly connected with the ratchet wheel 18. The fly-wheel is thus set spinning, and as it is of large size and weight compared with the generator, and nicely mounted on ball bearings, it will continue to rotate for a consid# erable period of time, and, through the gears 17 and 12, actuate the armature'fl of the magneto and thus generate the desired current. From the foregoing, therefore, it is obvious that the spring 29 serves as a storage device for the energy manually imparted to the lever, and that the energy so stored is potential. The fly-whee1 or other similar momentum device also serves as a storage device for energy, but the energy so stored is kinetic. When the handle isreleased, the

potential energy of the spring is transformed into the kinetic energy of the momentum device, and this, in turn, is converted into electrical energy by the generator.

While I have shown and described the best form of my invention now known to me, many modifications within the scope of my invention will suggest themselves to the skilled engineer, and I desire to have it understood that I intend to cover by the annexed claims all such modifications.

What I claim is 1. In combination, an electric generator, and means for actuating the same comprising a ratchet wheel connected with the armature thereof, a swinging pawl cooperating with said ratchet, a lever for actuating said pawl, and means for holding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet except when said lever is operated.

2. Mechanism for manually generating electric currents, comprising a suitable generator, a iywheel separate therefrom and geared thereto, a ratchet wheel rigidly connected to said flywheel, a pawl in operative relation with said ratchet wheel, means for moving said pawl bodily so as to cause it to engage said ratchet wheel and impart an impulse thereto, and means for automatically diseiigaging said pawl from said wheel after such impulse has been imparted.

3. Mechanism for manually generating electric currents comprising a suitable generator, a flywheel connected therewith, and means for imparting an impulse to said wheel so as to cause it to spin and drive said generator, such means comprising a ratchet wheel, a spring pressed pawl associated therewith, a pivoted bracket carrying said pawl, a spring normally urging said bracket toward one limit of its stroke, a lever for swinging said bracket to the other limit of its stroke and compressing said spring, such spring, when the handle is released, serving' to cause said pawl to engage and drive said ratchet wheel, and means for disengaging said pawl from the said wheel when thcI bracket has regained its original position.

4. Mechanism for manually generating electric currents, comprising a cylindrical casing, a iywheel mounted therein and snugly fitting the same, a gear wheel secured to one side of said flywheel and a. ratchet wheel to the other, a suitable generator in the casing driven by said gear wheel, a swinging pawl associated with said ratchet wheel, and means for so moving said pawl as to cause it to momentarily engage, travel with, and then disengage said ratchet wheel, whereby said flywheel is caused to spin.

y 5. Mechanism for manually generating electrical currents comprising a cylindrical casing, a generator armature mounted transversely of said casing, heads closing the ends of said casing, a iieldl magnet for said generator armature, and a flywheel axially mounted on and supported by one of said heads, a motor mounted axially on and supported by the other head, gearing between said fly wheel and said generator, and gearing between said motor and said iiy wheel.

6. Mechanism for manually generating ioo llO

electrical currents comprising a cylindrical Casing, a generator armature mounted transersely of said casing, heads closing the ends of said casing, a eld magnet for said generator armature, and a fly wheel axially mountedon and supported by one of said heads, a motor mounted axially on and supported by the other head, gearing between said fly Wheel and said generator, and gearing between said motor and said fly Wheel, and means operable from without the casing for causin said motor to store up energy in said y Wheel for operating said generator. A

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GUSTAV A. HUBER.

Witnesses:

L. A. HAMMERSLEY, G. P. STACY. 

